Google has truly become every researcher’s best friend over the years. No matter what you’re looking for online, more often than not, you will be ‘Googling’ to find the answers. Same is the case for students who want to go for online education. With this new mode of education making its way into mainstream education, prospective students are bound to have hundreds of questions in their minds. To help you out, here is a list of your most Googled online education questions answered:

Graduating is an exciting time. After putting in all of those years of effort, it all finally culminates in this moment. Graduation day approaches and students are filled with a mixture of excitement, relief, and sadness. After all, you’ve just spent the past few years of your life at a particular college or university, made friends who went through the same journey with you, met teachers who influenced you, and at the end of it all, you’re earning a degree for all of your hard work.

Computer science is a rapidly growing field and therefore job prospects for computer science majors have never been better. With such promising prospects, is it any surprise that there has been a huge surge in interest when it comes to pursuing computer science degrees?

As a college student, you might have considered (or actually gone for) a student loan. Well, you are part of a big chunk of the college-going population in the US. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, as of 2012, 71% of the students graduating from four-year universities had taken some form of a student loan  – this roughly translates into more than 40 million Americans. Taking a deeper look at the numbers, you will see that the student loan debt has increased by 84% since the recession and hit an all-time high of $1.2 trillion, exceeding the credit card debt in 2010. And according to CNN Money, the average balance has also increased.

Back in 2001, when Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia, the concept of an online and free encyclopedia was not much developed. Its predecessors Encyclopedia Britannica and Microsoft’s Encarta were the two most reliable names in the market. Initially users and investors were both skeptical of the concept that anyone could contribute to the Encyclopedia. But it was not long before the concept started to catch on, thanks to the speed and vastness of its service. By the end of the first year, Wikipedia contained more than 20,000 articles in 18 languages. Cost, limited size and late updates were some of the challenges faced by the traditional encyclopedias that were addressed in Wikipedia’s model. And thus, Wikipedia gained its standing as a “disruptive innovation” in the world of encyclopedias.

Online education is fast gaining popularity, thanks to its easy accessibility, flexibility and variety. Nearly 5.3 million students in the US took at least one online course in fall of 2013 according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Yet, even with this growing popularity and widespread usage of this mode of education, there are several myths and misconceptions circling around. Below is a list that separates the facts from fiction.

Online Education refers to a specific method of providing students with education. This is done over the internet as opposed to in a traditional classroom setting. Through online learning platforms, students have the choice to enroll in short courses as well as fully structured programs.  

Community colleges, also known as junior, city, or technical colleges, are higher education institutions which offer a number of degrees, awards, and certificates. Some even offer technical training and credentials, as well as comprehensive programs intended to help students transfer into different career-oriented programs.

Lack of education is a huge problem, but many of us seem to underestimate just how big of a problem it really is. For many of us, having access to a good quality education is something that we frequently take for granted; it’s just seen as a regular part of our day to day lives. However, for some, education isn’t something that their entitled to by right; it’s a rare privilege. To illustrate just how important having an education is, researchers have conducted studies which indicate that a lack of education is as deadly as smoking.

For every student looking to apply to college in 2016, the most important factor to consider is the value of a specific degree. This is what determines the popularity of a specific major among students in any particular year. The value of a degree is determined by several factors, the most important of which include employability and salary.

It may seem like it but just because you’re a working professional doesn’t mean that you can’t study anymore. Matter of fact, now is the time to enroll in that one course, which will further enhance your professional skills.  Several universities and institutes offer online courses for professionals in the US. Here is a list of 10 online courses, specifically designed for professionals:

Game designing is a field which is rapidly gaining in popularity. However, the study of game design can differ substantially according to what your career goals and aspirations are. That’s why it’s important to find a school that offers a degree that will cater to your professional development and needs. In addition, it’s important to look for schools that help their graduates secure good positions with industry leaders once they complete their program.

Notable advances in technology have led to rapid expansion in the world of online education.  With internet becoming more widespread and easily accessible everywhere, people are opting for distance learning as a simpler and more convenient way to enhance their academic credentials and career opportunities.

Professors play an integral role in the students’ personal and professional development. They are influential figures that students look up to for the duration of their academic life and sometimes, even beyond. Colleges in the Unites States give a great deal of importance to the quality and credentials of their faculty. However, some colleges end up ignoring certain other factors that affect the actual positive impact the professors have on the students. These include access to professors, the extent to which schools promote teamwork between students and professors and whether the students actually have positive views of the faculty.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics – NCES (2007/2008), approximately 20% of all undergraduate students in the United States took at least one distance learning course. Out of these, nearly a million students (4% undergraduates) completed their entire degree program online. Online enrollments are seeing an upward trend, which is expected to continue for at least the next 10 years.  And while on-campus education remains the preferred mode of higher learning for many, distance education programs are fast catching up with their counterpart.

Social media is one of the defining features of the 21st century. It is a tool which can be used for many different purposes including networking, campaigning, and even interacting with like-minded people. It should therefore come as no surprise that even professors take to social media and some enjoy a reasonable following too. Social media is an excellent platform for these well renowned individuals to share their knowledge and insights with their legions of followers. Here are some of the professors who boast huge fan following on social media.

A master’s degree in special education is required for those who intend to teach students with special needs. Graduates have the chance to improve the quality of education which is provided to such students and thereby help them reach their goals and realize their true potential.

As job markets saturate with individuals who have a high school diploma or undergraduate degrees, the importance of acquiring higher education has started to rise sharply.  More people are now beginning to realize the significance of professional degrees and PhD’s, especially in regard to their earning potential and the future employment opportunities.

Getting an online degree in computer science could give you a competitive edge in the job market. Individuals who are familiar with software engineering, multiple programming languages, networks, and web services are in high demand, and may seek employment in a wide variety of fields.